Agawam and NonotuckThe Agawam people were the first to sell land to the group of English colonists led by William Pynchon, while the Nonotuck, who made their home near present day Northampton, largely resisted English encroachment

1847-1851
John Brown
Before leading his ill-fated raid on Harpers Ferry Virginia, the fiery abolitionist called Springfield, MA his home. Here, Brown worked extensively with abolitionists in both the African American and white communities and aided them in their fight to resist the institution of slavery

King Philip's War
Indigenous resistance to European domination erupted into warfare across New England in 1675-1676, and several key battles in what became known as King Philip's War took place in the Connecticut River Valley

1636-1654
William Pynchon
Founder of the city of Springfield, Pynchon and his family helped build Springfield from a trading post on the outskirts of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to a thriving commercial city

1640s
Indentured Servitude in Colonial Springfield
Over half of all immigrants during the colonial period came as bonded or indentured servants, contracted to provide labor to a particular master for a fixed period of time in exchange for passage overseas

1652-1702
John Pynchon After his father returned to England, John Pynchon expanded the fur trade in the valley and secured land claims from Native American groups

1817-1894
Thomas Thomas
A former slave, Thomas Thomas would befriend John Brown as well as become a successful small business owner in Springfield

Springfield and the Civil War
When the first shots rang out at Fort Sumter in April of 1861, Springfield was a city of 15,000 residents supported by several local industries. By the war's end, Springfield had sent 2,625 of its men to fight for the Union cause

1840s-1850s
Irish Immigrants in Holyoke
Irish immigrants arrived in large numbers early in the Industrial Era of the Connecticut River Valley, and built by hand the canals that would power the mills of Holyoke

1891
The World of Basketball
In Springfield, Canadian immigrant James Naismith invented the sport of basketball, which grew into a worldwide sport

1900-1940
The Springfield Armory
Founded by George Washington, the Springfield Armory provided a means of social mobility for a diverse array of ethnic groups in the twentieth century

1960s-Present
Puerto Rican Communities in the Valley
Puerto Rican migrants have increasingly been attracted to the smaller industrial cities and farm lands of New England. The cities of Springfield and Holyoke continue to be a destination for migrant communities